Power drawn scraper



Jan. 17, 1956 L. B. LINDBECK POWER DRAWN SCRAPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 2, 1951 INVENTOR LnB-Z 671.61 5 ec Z:

y h lwwi m ATTORNEYS Jan. 17, 1956 L. B. LINDBECK 2,730,822

POWER DRAWN SCRAPER Filed Nov. 2, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY MW,GL%AM6-YEM ATTORNEYS Jan. 17, 1956 L. B. LINDBECK POWER DRAWN SCRAPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 2, 1951 INVENTOR Z-,B.L z nciec/l:

BY MQwM -ZM ATTORNEYS United States Patent "ice POWER DRAWN SCRAPER Laurel B. Lindbeck, Las Cruces, N. Mex.

Application November 2, 1951, Serial No. 254,465

4 Claims. (Cl. 37--129) The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a power actuated scraper for moving earth from one place to another.

An object of the invention is to provide a power drawn scraper having a scraper bowl and an apron associated therewith for retaining the earth in the bowl during transport wherein the bowl is positively swung from loading to carrying and dumping positions by hydraulically operated devices attached at one of their ends to the scraper supporting frame and at their other ends to the bowl, and wherein the apron is positively moved to closed position relative to the bowl at the same time as the bowl is shifted from loading to carrying position.

A further object of the invention is to provide spring means for raising the apron when a bowl is shifted to dumping position and loading position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apron which is straight and has a sliding movement to and from closed position relative to the bowl.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a drawn scraper which includes a frame structure supported at its rear end on Wheels, a draft tongue pivotally con nected to said frame near the front end thereof and a hydraulically operated device connecting the tongue to the frame at the front end thereof for raising and lowering the pivotal connection and thus placing the bowl in a loading or carrying position.

These and other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved power drawn scraper with the bowl in position for loading, the apron shifted to full raised position and the pivotal connection between the tongue and the scraper carrying frame in its lower position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the bowl and apron in section and also showing the bowl shifted to a carrying position and the pivotal connection in a raised position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the bowl as shifted to an unloading position;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the power drawn scraper with certain parts of the apron controlling mechanism omitted for the sake of clearness;

Figure 5 is a view showing a slightly modified form of the means for bodily raising and lowering the bowl in which the tongue and frame are rigidly connected and the tongue is raised and lowered by the usual power actuated vertically movable draft unit of a tractor.

The improved power actuated scraper as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive includes a main supporting frame provided with laterally spaced side beams 1 and 2. These side beams at the front end are connected to cross beams 3 and there are also cross beams 3', 3 intermediate the ends of the side beams. At the rear end of the side beam 1 is an upwardly extending bracket 4 carrying a trunnion 5 on which a Wheel 6 is mounted. This wheel is located at the inner side of the side beam. The side 2,730,822 Patented Jan. 17, 1956 beam 2 carries a like upstanding bracket 4 carrying a trunnion 7 on which a wheel 8 is mounted.

Each side beam has rigidly attached thereto an upstanding side member 9. There is a standard 10 welded to the side beam 1 and extending; upwardly therefrom. The side member 9 is connected thereto. There is also a brace 11 extending from the upper end of the standard 10 to the frame where it is rigidly attached. On the other side of the scraper there is a similar side member 9, standard 10 and brace 11. A scraper bowl 13 is mounted on the standards by trunnions 14, 14 and the bowl swings about these trunnions as a pivot. The bowl in; cludes a bottom member 15, and an end member 16 formed as one piece therewith, and. side members 17, 17. Attached tothe inner face of the bottom member is a steel blade 18 which cuts into the earth to aid in the filling of the bowl.

Welded to the side members 17 of the bowl are arms 19, 19 one at each side of the bowl. A hydraulically operated device is attached to each arm 19 and to a lug 0n the associated side beam. This hydraulic device includes a cylinder 20 and a piston rod 21. The piston rod carries a piston head of the usual construction. The piston rod of one of the hydraulic devices is pivoted at 22 to one of the arms 19. The piston rod of the other hydraulic device is pivoted to the arm 19 on the other side of the bowl. Each cylinder is pivoted at 23 to a lug 23' carried by the associated side member.

There is a pipe 24 which is connected to one end of the cylinder 20 and a pipe 25 connected to the other end of the cylinder 20. There are similar pipes connected to the cylinder at the opposite side of the frame. These pipes lead through the frame structure and to a two-way valve on the tractor or other power operated vehicle used for drawing the scraper. This two-way valve is readily accessible to the operator so that he can at will direct fluid under pressure to the inner ends of the cylinders or to the outer ends of the cylinders, so that they may be simultaneously operated to positively move the piston therein one way or the other as may be selected by the operator. When the fluid is directed into one end of a cylinder the other end Will be connected to an exhaust so that the fluid therein may be returned to the fluid pressure pump system. The hydraulically operated devices and the manner of controlling the same are of the well-known construction and further detailed description thereof is not thought necessary.

Associated with the scraper bowl is an apron 26 which is preferably straight and slides between cleats 27, 27 attached to the side members 9 at the inner face thereof. There is also a guiding bracket 28 attached to the frame and supporting the apron intermediate the sides thereof. These cleats and guiding bracket illustrate one way of supporting and guiding the apron. Other ways may be employed in lieu thereof. It is essential, however, that the guiding means shall be of a character that will avoid clogging the movement of the apron by the material carried in the bowl.

At each side of the scraper frame is a bracket 29. These brackets are welded to the side members 9 and the side beams of the frame. Pivotally attached to each bracket 29 is an arm 30 and these arms at their outer ends are pivoted at 31 to the apron 26. There are actuating devices associated with each arm 30. They are of similar construction and therefore the devices on one side of the scraper will be described in detail and like reference numerals applied to the devices at the other side.

Welded to the side member 9 is an L-shaped lug 32. A rod 33 extends through an opening in this lug and is pivoted at 34 to the arm 30. A compression spring 35 surrounds the rod and bears at one end against the lug and at its other end against the arm 30. This spring will swing the arm upwardly and draw the apron to a raised position when the arm 30 is free to move. There is a collar 36 fastened to the rod 33 which engages the underside of the lug and limits the upward swing of the arm 30. Welded to the arm 30 is a bracket 37. A control rod 38 is pivoted at 39 to this bracket 37. The control rod is bent at right angles at its end as indicated at 38. This portion of the control rod is directly over the arm 30 and will abut against said arm to limit upward movement of the arm at certain times and it will also hold the apron in its lower position during transport. The control rod 38 is slotted longitudinally thereof as indicated at 40. There is a bar 41 extending across the scraper frame from one arm 19 to the other and this bar extends through the slots 40 in the control rods 38 at the opposite sides of the machine. It is understood that the control rods 38 and the parts associated therewith are duplicated on opposite sides of the machine and this will provide a uniform pull on the apron when it is desired to force the same downwardly into engagement with the bowl.

The side beams 1 and 2 are joined to diagonally extending end members 42. These end members are secured to spaced bars 43, 43 disposed centrally of the frame and joined to the cross beam 3 and to the forward intermediate cross beam 3. There are sheet metal plates 44 welded to the end members 42 and to the bars 43 for strengthening this portion of the frame. Extending between these bars 43, 43 is a draft tongue 45, said draft tongue is secured to the bars by a pivot pin 46. The outer end of the draft tongue 45 is connected to a draft member 47 by a coupling pin 48. This draft member 47 is carried by a tractor or other power operated vehicle. It has no vertical movement but the tongue is free to swing laterally on the coupling pin 48. Mounted on the bars 43, 43 at the outer ends thereof is a vertically eX- tending post 49. The vertically extending post has spaced members connected respectively to the bars 43 and joined at their upper ends by a connecting plate 50. There is a gusset 51 welded to each section of the post for holding it rigidly in its upright position. The draft tongue 45 is pivotally connected to the bars 43 by a pivot pin 46 as above described. A hydraulically operated device including a cylinder 52 and a piston rod 53 is pivoted at its lower end to a lug 54 attached to the draft tongue 45. The piston rod is pivoted at its upper end to a bracket 55 carried by the post 49. There are pipes indicated in broken lines in Figure 1 which lead from the opposite ends of this cylinder 52 to a two-way switch on the tractor or other power operated vehicle. Through this two-way switch fluid may be directed into either end of the cylinder and will cause the piston to shift to a set position. Let us assume that the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2, and fluid is directed to the upper end of the cylinder. This will cause the piston to move downward and the frame member supporting the scraper bowl will swing downward about the trunnions of the wheels 6 and 8. The pivotal connection 46, under the conditions named, will swing downwardly for a limited distance depending upon the movement of the piston and when the piston is moved in the opposite direction then this pivotal connection will be raised and the draft frame will move upwardly on the trunnions of the wheels. As shown in Figure 1, the draft frame supporting the bowl has been lowered by manipulation of the two-way switch controlling the piston in cylinder 52. The bowl has been tilted so as to throw the digging-in blade 18 into the earth by operating a two-way switch which directs fluid to the piston in the cylinders 20. The fluid under pressure flowing into the lower end of the cylinders will operate to positively tilt the scraper bowl to the position shown in this figure. The control rods 38 by this movement of the piston rods 21 are permitted to move endwise so that the apron 26 may be moved upwardly away from the cutting blade 18 through the action of the compression springs 35. As the power drawn scraper moves longitudinally the earth will be forced up into the bowl and the apron will be out of the way so that there is an unobstructed entrance to the bowl. After the bowl has been loaded then the two-way switch controlling the draft frame is operated so as to raise the pivotal connection 46 and this will raise the scraper bowl from the earth.

Another two-way switch is used for directing fluid into the upper end of the cylinders 20 and this will tilt the scraper bowl upwardly at its receiving end and at the same time will pull on the control rod so as to positively move the apron downward until it contacts with the blade 18 on the scraper bowl. This will prevent dirt from escaping from the scraper bowl during the transport of the same. When the earth has been transported to the place where it is to be discharged from the scraper bowl then said two-way switch will be operated so as to direct fluid to the lower end of the cylinders 20 and this will tilt the bowl to dumping position as shown in Figure 3. The arms 19 will swing in a counterclockwise direction and this will release the control rods 38 so that the springs 33 will immediately move the apron upward and out of the way of the load as it is dumped. After the apron reaches its upward limit of movement, the titlting of the bowl may be continued, the rod 41 moving along the slots 40, until said bowl reaches its fully dumping position. The ends 38 of the control rods 38 rest on the arms 30 when the bowl is in carrying position. When the bowl swings toward dumping position shown in Figure 3, the blade 18 will move away from the apron and this will forcibly release the apron from any clogging of its movement by pebbles or trash. As the bowl continues its movement to a dumping position the spring 35 Will raise the apron.

By proper manipulation of the two-way switches the bowl may be returned to loading position and the draft frame lowered so as to cause the blade 18 to cut into the earth. When the bowl has been loaded the two-way switches may be again operated so as to raise the draft frame and tilt the bowl upwardly at its front end and the bowl thus positioned for carrying the load. For dumping the two-way switch controling the pistons in the cylinders 20 is operated so as to swing the bowl to full dumping position.

In Figure 5 of the drawings the manner of supporting the bowl and the apron and operating the same by the hydraulic cylinders 20, 20 is the same as shown in Figures 1 to 4. The description thereof is not thought necessary but like reference numerals have been applied to the parts. In the type of power actuated scraper illustrated in Figure 5 the tongue 45 is rigidly secured to the frame members 43, 43. The post 49 and the hydraulically operated device 52 is not used. The tongue at its forward end is connected by a coupling 56 with a wellknown power actuated vertical movable draft unit of a tractor. By manipulation of this power unit the tongue and frame rigidly connected thereto may be lowered for positioning the bowl for loading and may be raised for positioning the bowl for transporting the load. The coupling, of course, is of the type which permits of steering movement of the tractor relative to the trailing scraper. This power actuated vertically moving draft unit is so well known in the art that it has not been illustrated and described in detail.

It is obvious that many changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A power drawn scraper comprising a rigid frame including spaced side members, a wheel attached to the rear end of each side member for supporting the frame, the front end of the frame being supported by the vehicle by which the scraper is drawn, a scraper bowl pivotally supported on said frame for swinging movement, a double acting fluid actuated cylinder and piston disposed at each side of the bowl and connected at one of their ends to said frame members and at their other ends to the bowl for tilting said bowl selectively for loading, for carrying and for dumping, spaced guiding members carried by each side member and disposed in front of said bowl, an apron slidable on said guiding members and movable into engagement with the loading edge portion of the bowl for retaining the earth therein during transport, brackets rigidly mounted on said frame at each side thereof, an arm pivotally attached to each bracket and pivotally connected to said apron for raising and lowering the same, a compression spring for each arm disposed between the arm and the frame for raising the apron when the bowl is tilted to loading position and to dumping position and a control rod pivotally connected to said apron carrying arms and to said bowl for simultaneously forcing the apron downwardly as the bowl is shifted from loading to carrying position for closing the bowl.

2. A power drawn scraper comprising a rigid frame including spaced side members, a wheel attached to the rear end of each side member for supporting the frame, the front end of the frame being supported by the vehicle by which the scraper is drawn, a scraper bowl pivotally supported on said frame for swinging movement, a double acting fluid actuated cylinder and piston disposed at each side of the bowl and connected at one of their ends to said frame members and at their other ends to arms rigid with the bowl for tilting said bowl selectively for loading, for carrying and for dumping, spaced guiding members carried by each side member and disposed in front of said bowl, an apron slidable on said guiding members and movable into engagement with the loading edge portion of the bowl for retaining the earth therein during transport, a bracket rigidly mounted at each side of said frame, an arm pivotally carried by each bracket and pivotally connected to said apron for raising and lowering the same, a compression spring for moving each arm disposed between the arm and the frame for raising the apron and a control rod pivotally connected to lugs on the apron supporting arms for forcing said apron into position for closing said bowl, said control rod having a sliding connection with said bowl arms for permitting the bowl to be moved to full dumping position after the apron is raised by the springs.

3. A power drawn scraper comprising a rigid frame including spaced side members, a wheel attached to the rear end of each side member for supporting the frame, the front end of the frame being supported by the vehicle by which the scraper is drawn, a scraper bowl pivotally supported on said frame for swinging movement, a double acting fluid actuated cylinder, and a piston disposed at each side of said bowl and connected at one of their ends to said frame members and at their other ends to the bowl for tilting said bowl selectively to loading, carrying and dumping positions, guiding members carried by said frame and disposed in front of said bowl, an apron slidable on said guiding members and movable into engagement with the loading edge portion of the bowl for retaining the earth therein during transport, brackets rigidly mounted on said frame at each side thereof, an arm pivotally attached to each bracket and pivotally connected to said apron for raising and lowering the same, means connected to lugs on the apron supporting arms and to the bowl and actuated by the tilting of the bowl for simultaneously forcing the apron downwardly as the bowl is shifted from loading to carrying position for closing the bowl, and means disposed between said arms and said frame for raising said apron when the bowl is tilted to loading position and to dumping position.

4. A power drawn scraper comprising a rigid frame including spaced side members, a wheel attached to the rear end of each side member for supporting the frame, the front end of the frame being supported by the vehicle by which the scraper is drawn, a scraper bowl pivotally supported on said frame for swinging movement, a double acting fluid actuated cylinder, and a piston disposed at each side of said bowl and connected at one of their ends to said frame members and at their other ends to the bowl for tilting said bowl selectively to loading, carrying and dumping positions, guiding members carried by said frame and disposed in front of said bowl, an apron slidable on said guiding members and movable into engagement with the loading edge portion of the bowl for retaining the earth therein during transport, brackets rigidly mounted on said frame at each side thereof, an arm pivotally attached to each bracket and pivotally connected to said apron for raising and lowering the same, means connected to lugs on the apron supporting arms and to the bowl and actuated by the tilting of the bowl for simultaneously forcing the apron downwardly as the bowl is shifted from loading to carrying position for closing the bowl, and spring means disposed between said arms and said frame for raising the apron when it is released by said downwardly forcing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,088,091 Moore July 27, 1937 2,147,077 Backman Feb. 14, 1939 2,219,478 Gurries Oct. 29, 1940 2,227,433 Berner Jan. 7, 1941 2,271,631 Davidson Feb. 3, 1942 2,545,235 Lamy Mar. 13, 1951 2,581,073 Brower Jan. 1, 1952 2,648,920 Anderson Aug. 18, 1953 

